Behind the Binds
by Shuddereye
Summary: The Elric Brothers, by the command of Kind Bradley, have been ordered to expand the state's boundary lines Southeast of the border. First step is to make an ally with Tokyo's recently damaged government. The Elrics, unfortunately, are in for a sour surprise when they use their Alchemy in public and are accused of being Deadmen. (First chapter in Ganta's POV) Rated M for V L SC
1. Chapter 1

**"O****ne mischievous little woodpecker  
Another day, pecking your holes  
Ruining the woods, tree wrecker  
The angry old forest god turned your poor beak into a poison knife  
Poor little wood pecker, your nesting holes are all tainted  
Your food with toxins rife  
Touch your friends, and they all will die falling at your feet  
Oh, sad little woodpecker  
Poisonous tears, shining brightly, as they stream down your cheeks-"**

The shrieking never stopped, but the lullaby could always somehow down it out. Without her mother's sweet song playing in her mind the only thing she could hear was that awful SHRIEKING. The shrieking that was hers. A door somewhere, it must've swung open because she felt the sudden breeze, and then afterward the tightening of the straps to her bed, or so it was humanly nicknamed. She saw of it more as a table for dissection. Whether of not it was her they were dissecting this time didn't matter. She was only screaming to get her mothers attention so she would sing for her again. "SLEEEP! MUMMY! MAKE ME SLEEP!" she sobbed and whined at the woman sitting in the corner, who was mouthing the words to the song that only SHE wanted to hear. "WHY NOT HEAR ME, MUMMY?!" she cried, "SO SLEEPY, MUMMY!"

This, alone... was a pathetic display. Not only was the girl almost 19, but she was sobbing to an empty corner in an asylum room. This girl was a deadman, who cried for the woman she had killed using her own blood. In court, she had said it was an accident, that they were merely playing and things had gone south... but nevertheless she was a deadman. What seemed so strange though was that she had extreme mental disabilities even before arriving in Carnival Corpse. Why she hadn't been slaughtered during the birth of the new world was only a mystery. Why she hadn't been slaughtered yet in the prison was beginning to seem like a conspiracy. The creators of the Wonderland might've wanted a new player, one who was completely uncontrollable and dangerous, much like an attractively wild animal, or maybe they just wanted to experiment on the poor thing, see how mental deadman respond to certain things differently. It was all a sick and twisted game, but still, the only thing that matters here in the wonderland is the survival of the fittest.

* * *

**"GANTAAAAAH!"**

Ganta gulped and turned around, he knew exactly what that meant. A Girl in a snow white suit with blood red dots on her was making an alarmingly fast beeline right for him "Shi-Shiro! WAIT!" He put his arms out in front of himself in an attempt of protection. "You'll knock me over!" It didn't matter to Shiro. She'd keep running even if it meant she'd crack his skull open. She was just excited to see her friend again, and she would make sure he knew that. She darted toward him with a wide grin on her face. From ear to ear, in fact. "NooooooOO!" Ganta turned around in the other direction and dashed down a random hallway. "DoOON'T TACKLE MEeeeEE!" Shiro took this as a game, not an actual run out of fear or panic. So of course she'd get competitive.

"GANTAAAH! SHIRO WILL CATCH YOU!" She giggled out of fun, but to Ganta she sounded psychotic. He gulped and turned down a sharp corner, and then another, and afterward another. Until he was sure he had gotten Shiro lost. She was extremely speedy but she had no sense of direction. "Hi, Ganta!" Shiro squealed from above. She had been stalking him through the air vents.

"WAAHG!" Ganta fell over. only to get body-slammed and bear-hugged by his best friend who, unfortunately... was extremely muscular and strong. "Wha...?" Ganta looked about in confusion. thinking he had heard something other than Shiro's obsessive and motherly giggling. "Sh-Shiro stop," he gagged. "Do you hear that?"

"Ahh?" Shiro got off of Ganta and sat up criss-cross. "Someone's crying..." She said, sounding almost sad because of the loud sobs of someone in the distance. Ganta frowned and looked down at her. Shiro was such a kind and innocent soul. any pain she saw, she wanted to help, any game she saw, she wanted to play... and every damn phrase any one could say... she took it way to literally. "Let's make him happy again!" And was that she sprang to her feet, darting down the hallway like a cheetah, leaving poor Ganta running behind her in the dust.

"Shiro!" Ganta yelled in alarm, stumbling clumsily after her. "Hold on! Stop! We don't know who it is!" He closed his eyes tight in frustration. Shiro was such a pain. Why did she always have to go out and help everyone else, and then come back bothering him when it was over? He suddenly stopped cold as he noticed Shiro was standing in front of one of the asylum doors of the medical wing. Tears in her eyes. There was a horrible wailing coming from inside, and it was a girl's. Ganta put a hand on Shiro's shoulder "Shiro... we need to g-"

"They don't believe her." Shiro looked at Ganta sadly.

"What?"

"She's sad because they don't believe her." Shiro whimpered, "She wants her mommy, but they don't believe her so they tied her down. And now she can't get to her mommy." There was something about that that sent a chill up and down Ganta's spine. It was almost like a horror movie, a young woman stuck in a child's body, screaming for a mother who wasn't there... it made him want to cry with her...

Shiro suddenly swung the door open wide. "I believe you!" she cried, tears in her eyes. "I hear her, too!" she wept with the girl, who had finally swallowed down a breath to continue screaming.

"Shiro?!" Ganta gasped and leaped into stop her, but it was to late. She had already undone the straps around her wrists and ankles.

* * *

_**Hey guys! I'm this first chapter is a wee bit short. I'm kind of winging it off of the anime season, and then afterwards using the manga series as a rough guideline. Please review and give opinions! I REALLY would like SOME kind of inspiration or motivation. I'm very new, and not the most skilled at clarifying everything. I also foreshadow a lot, and because of my extreme ADHD, I forget about what it is I'm foreshadowing. ^^" **_


	2. Chapter 2

"Oh, I'm so EXCITED!" Winry squealed.

Edward Elric sat scrunched up against an overly excited Automail Technician in an overly unroomy Sand Treader. His brother, Alphonse Elric, sat across from the two of them. Uncomfortably squished as well, but also alone.

"Brother...?" Ventured the hollow-looking suit of armor that was Edward's one and only cherished sibling, "How long until we reach the Southeast border..." Alphonse had been sleeping the entire time, the warm feeling of having an actual human inside him had lulled him to sleep.

"Yeah!" May Chang echoed from within her boyfriend's armor, a bit of discomfort and sleep in her voice. "Shao May ate all of the bean buns and now I'm hungry..."

Edward groaned. "Listen, guys we've already passed the border, but we've got two-hundred miles of desert to clear and then afterward there is an ocean we need to cross to get to the island. Which is another hundred miles... we're not going to make it there in a tenth of the time just because you're hungry." He sounded like a father, roaring at his bitchy kids to stop complaining or he'd "turn this thing around." But Edward could understand their impatience and confusion. He had formed an alliance with scar and his group soon after the encounter with father... however much his instinct told him to stay in central and try to fight this guy... They were ordered by Roy Mustang to leave the city and study the whereabouts of this sick prison in Tokyo they called, "Deadman Wonderland." Roy had said that the government of Tokyo had built this prison not only for the entertainment of the people, but it was also suspected that they were using the deaths of the prisoners in Deadman Wonderland to create Philosopher Stones and experiment on them. Sort of like in Laboratory 5... but in a creepier... more childish sort of way.

"Remind me again WHY I came here with you?" Greeling growled from the storage closet. Greeling was the name Edward had come up with for the homunculus, Greed, who had halfway overtaken the prince of the Xing tribe, Ling. Thus the name... Greeling. They were always switching. one moment you were talking to an overconfident, laid back womanizer, and the next you're talking to a food-happy, up tight, brat of a leader. Ed was sick of switching from Greed to Ling so he just finally decided to call them_ "Greeling: the Bipolar and Obnoxious." _

"Because the homunculi, the Brigs, AND the state alchemists are on your trail and they want your head on a platter." It was Lan Fan who spoke, purely out of frustration. Of course, it was Greed she was speaking to, not her Lord and leader, Ling. She wouldn't dare speak to him like that but still, she was petrified of losing him, that in a way... fueled her frustration toward him.

"Whats the big deal? It's not like my like my life matters. To you I'm just a homunculu-"

"It's not YOUR life that matters to me." Lan Fan snapped. "It's the one you've infected like a parasite." She was in the passenger's seat, probably the most comfortable seat in the vehicle. Which, she thought, the prince should have, but since it would be Greed and not Ling enduring the car ride, she would accept the offering.

Operating the Sandtreader was Lieutenant Ross, a former state officer, and now a fugitive in central. Roy faked her death and sent her to Xing to escape the wronging of the country. Ross now worked as a defensive traveling weapons technician. Thus the Sandtreader, also known as the Camel Spider or the Arachnoid Tank. It was originally designed in the Ishvalian War of Extermination to crush the fleeing Ishvalian citizens. Ross found a better use for them. Replacing the heavy metal chains with four blunt spiked titanium tires the size of a fat hippo, Ross found that the tank traveled well in almost any terrain. Snowy, rocky, muddy, tree-y... She purred like a kitten on the cat walk. But in sand, an added dust filter in the motor kept the kitten from coughing up a hairball. That made seven all packed together in the tight little tank, not counting the wee green Envy, who was locked uptight in a plexiglass jar. The naughty little homunculus got a bit to close to the only man who knew how to deconstruct human souls; The Crystal Alchemist himself: Doctor Marcoh. Marcoh, along with Scar and Yoki, were all in the second Sandtreader next to them. This one not packed with as many people, but with cargo.

"Looks like the city's only a few hours away, kiddies." Ross smiled. Those all squished in the back gave a slight sigh of relief. But one question was still on their minds; **_Why were they all being sent away at_ once?**

* * *

100 miles in the opposite direction, Colonel Mustang looked out of the window of his office, processing the negative and positive results of what he had just done. Without the Elric brothers, the fuller could no longer use them as weapons; positive. Without Scar, no more state Alchemists would end up dead; positive. Without the Elric brothers AND Scar, there is the threat of Kimbley, the corrupt government, and the homunculi; negative. Kimbley was after Scar to arrest him, however Scar had been acting in the defense of the rebellion... and was an important asset to the rebellion as well; however suttle and..."independent" he may be. The brothers, however, were a different story. Edward Elric had said that the leader of the homonculi, the practicle image of his father Hohenheim, was a man the homonculi called "Father" and that this thing was planning on using him and his brother Alphonse in what he had called "A Sacrifice." Mustang knew that these boys had to get as far away from the city as possible, especially with the two homonculi, Pride and Gluttony tracking them. So when King Bradley had told him that they should extend their alligences with a unique type of civilaztaion, he saw this as the perfect chance to send the entire crew off. Even the illegal imagrant from Xing.

The only thing that really troubled Mustang was that the people of Tokyo did not believe in alchemy, they cut off their communications with any religious counrty, including Central (which Central truley wasn't really religiously lead, but was considered to be; being surrounded by so many influencing cultures.) yet they were considerably advanced in the production of functioning philosophers stones and humaniod chimeras called "Deadmen." What animal were they fused with, Roy thought to himself. To look completely human without a single distortion other than the stamina and strength of a jacked football player.

Roy finally thought aloud with a dismissing shrug. "Maybe they're just on permenant steroids."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Red Alert! Adding new and TONS of OC's for MY romance pleasure. I'm a... quick flash n' real in chica. There WILL be intense romance in this fiction. And most of the OC's will be FEMALE. Get over it.**_

* * *

"BLEEEERGH!" Edward finally relieved the erg to vomit over the sea sickness by practically throwing himself over the railing almost along with his used lunch. The only good news about the damn boat was there was plenty of room to jump off if necessary. It it felt almost necessary right then.

"I already told you, I don't want to marry you're boyfriend!" Winry shouted.

"Then why were you leaning on him on the ride here?!" Retorted May, in a know-it-all sort of way.

Poor Alphonse was trying to break the two up. "Um, girls..."

"I practically didn't have any room to think in there! I already told you, I was squished up against him! I don't love him like a husband!"

"So now he's not good enough?! You think my standards are low?!"

"I NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT YOUR STANDAR-"

"_**SHUT**_** UP!**" Al finally shouted, interrupting the two's bickering.

Ross just sighed, it was all the energy she had. Steering the ship across an ocean in a tiny metal tugboat was aggravating enough, but the chaos on the ship just added to it. Ed was seasick, Al, Winry, and the Chang girl were bickering, the half homunculus and the girl with the auto mail were sparring while balancing on the front fences of the boat, and she didn't even want to imagine what Marcoh, Scar, and that damned scrawny former officer were up to...

* * *

"So I'm guessing you don't know much about this place, Carnival Core!?" Scar, in his ever present stance of skepticism, asked Dr. Marcoh in an almost threatening tone. "The entire reason we are here is because you said that these people are using the memories of the deceased to make a philosopher's stone, and not human souls. And now, you're saying they are slaughtering innocents for the wealthy man's pleasure?!"

They were all in the lower deck, Yoki, Marcoh, and Scar. All plotting. And now all slightly shaken.

"Now, I didn't exactly say that." Offered Marcoh, more frightened than sure. "I said that they could be formulating a new type of philosopher's stones. Artificial. one made of memories and not souls... however the death of a human may be vital in getting their memories."

"So it's no better than the original philosopher's stones..." Yoki sighed, a sag of the shoulders and a furrow of the brows.

"Not exactly..." Marcoh offered a confident smirk, but it was clear he was far from sure. "The only thing that is incapable in a human transmutation is a human soul... However memories are no more than data, and can be easily copied and stored..."

Yoki looked up from his grim look of disappointment."So you're saying-"

"NO." Scar slammed both of his hands down on the desk. "I human is not a human without a soul. If you're saying we should just transmutate the person who is used to create the philosopher's stone's memories, than you must realize, not only are you putting your own bodies in danger like the Elric boys, but you are also just creating an animated doll. Empty."

Yoki frowned at Scar, "Now, hold on... We don't know exactly what it is they are making with these people... or what they are even using for it... Marcoh might be onto it."

Marcoh nodded. "Right. Thank you, Yoki." he looked at Scar. "I'm saying they might not be killing these people completely. Just taking their memories. Their soul could still be in the body when finished, and the data of their memories could be transmutated with them."

"Still... It's unlikely that they would go through the trouble of bringing a person back after intentionally murdering them in cold blood." Scar barely took Marcoh's idea's into consideration. He was focused on the enemy, just like he always was.

Marcoh grinned, "But perhaps someone here could."

"Guys, you might wanna come up here!" Ross was out of breath as she slammed the door open. She was panicked, Scar could tell. And once he got out into the open her realized, she had a pretty good damn reason.

Winry and May had finally clamped their mouths shut, watching as shining white boats zipped by with neither a sail, nor a steam engine. Edward and Alphonse were leaning over the edge of their tiny little tugboat, staring out onto the land, where dozens of sleek and silver cars slid by one another without so much as a puff of white smoke coming out of the engine. Even Greed, the smug and prideful homunculus, had stopped into a frozen poise on the edge of the deck, staring straight up at the clouds of hot air balloons with strange faces of clowns sewn on them.

"Wha- What is this place?" Lan Fan, perched up on the flag pole and looking out onto the strange land, managed a small whimper of confusion. The city looked chaotic, hundreds of people scurrying passed each other flowing through the streets of strange- almost hovering vehicles. One moment a man would be standing on the side walk looking at his wrist, and the next he would disappear in the blink of an eye into a silver sleek trolly car without a track. It was so confusing, so chaotic... yet these strange people seemed to flow and carry on without a care in the world, as if they did this every day...

"This is fucked up..." Greed's breathing was noticeably getting faster. "It's a mad house!"

Ross was on the verge of an anxiety attack herself, "Now let's not panic-"

**WHAM!** Everyone on the tug boat struggled to keep their footing as the suddenly came under impact of large, white and red boat. "Hault!" A voice came from the boat, no man even spoke. "You are trespassing on Tokyoite waters. You have been labeled as unidentified illegal aliens. Identify and surrender yourselves immediately or face the yard of Carnival Corpse."

"Wh-where is that voice coming from?" May hid behind Alphonse and clutched both Envy and Chao May.

"It's automated..." Winry gaped.

"Carnival Corpse.. " Scar narrowed his eyes.

"Wait!" Marcoh waved his arms in front of the boat. "We have come to discuss the matters of the philosopher's stone, we wish to speak to the prime commander of this civilization."

"Invalid request." the Technotic voice rang out in response to Marcoh's plea for a treaty. It was intimidating having something completely lifeless tower over them and respond to them as if it were an actual officer. The entire crew was beginning to think that coming to this island was a mistake. And with that, the boat spoke again, "Identification, please."

"We have no identification!" Ross shouted, "We came here on terms of business."

This time, the boat did not speak, but from the upper deck, came ten snake-like metallic pipes, claws extended on the end. "You are now under arrest. "

Every one of the claws shot out at each on of them, Ling/Greed, Lan Fan, May, Scar, Ed, Yoki, Alphonse, Ross, Winry, and Marcoh. For most of them, their reaction was to panic and run, but for Ed, Al, Scar, and Greed... they only knew how to fight.

The first bit of metal latched onto Winry's upper-half, restricting her arms and hands into an uncomfortable and immobile position. A shriek of terror escaped her lips. As she was jerked back into the the strange boat.

"Winry!" Edward cried,grabbing hold of the claw extended toward him and ripping it from it's socket with a bit of help from alchemy.

"Resistance of arrest! Damage of public property! _**Use of the Branch of Sin!**_" The boat's final shout didn't just come from the boat, but from a hot air balloon that some on them now noticed was above them. An alarm suddenly went off from both of the machines, causing panic in the streets on the shore. "_**ROUGE DEADMAN! ROUGE DEADMAN! EVACUATE THE**_** AREA!**" Everyone in the city seemed to be repelled from the shore line, strange military tanks pulled up on the shore and aimed at the tugboat, and several more boats and hot air balloons surrounded the amestrian crew, all crushed together, and all now trapped like rats in a glass jar.


End file.
